Can I downgrade to windows 8.1 and later upgrade again to windows 10?

The Media Creation Tool is used to one of the followings:
1. Download the ISO file.
2. Install Windows 10.

The key point is not about downloading and installing Windows 10, the key point is whether or how to activate it.
If you do that before July 29th, you can use your Win 8.1 key to activate.
If you do that after July 29th, the Win 8.1 key is no good for activation.

shivam said:

But then what's the use of the media creation tool? Is it just to create a media with an unlicensed copy of windows?

The purpose of the media creation tool is to create a Windows 10 installation media that allow you to clean install Windows 10 later if you want to.

davidhk said:

The Media Creation Tool is used to one of the followings:
1. Download the ISO file.
2. Install Windows 10.

The key point is not about downloading and installing Windows 10, the key point is whether or how to activate it.
If you do that before July 29th, you can use your Win 8.1 key to activate.
If you do that after July 29th, the Win 8.1 key is no good for activation.

Correct. After July 29th the Windows 8.1 key will not be good for free Windows 10 activation. Windows 10 will activate by retrieving the digital entitlement from Microsoft activation servers that was stored there during the first upgrade.

NavyLCDR said:

Your understanding is incorrect. Going back to Windows 8.1 does not erase the digital entitlement on Microsoft activation servers. On the activation page of settings -> updates & security if the computer was an upgrade, it will show the activation type as digital entitlement. The digital entitlement for Windows 10 for that computer is permanently stored on Microsoft activation servers and re-installing Windows 8 does not erase it.

I disagree.
Sorry.

davidhk said:

I disagree.
Sorry.

That's fine. You can disagree with Microsoft if you want to. But it is them that wrote the software:
Activation in Windows 10 - Windows Help

Activating Windows 10 after the free upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1

If you upgraded to Windows 10 for free from an eligible device running a genuine copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, Windows 10 will automatically be activated online and create a digital entitlement for your device.

Activating after reinstalling Windows 10

How you activate Windows 10 after reinstalling it depends on how Windows 10 was originally installed on your device.

If you activated a free upgrade to Windows 10 or bought and activated Windows 10 from the Windows Store, you have a digital entitlement for your device. This means you can reinstall the same edition of Windows 10 that your device has a digital entitlement for without entering a product key. During reinstallation, if you’re asked to enter a product key, select Skip. Windows 10 will automatically activate online after the installation is complete.

How does it activate automatically online without entering a product key after a re-install? It retrieves the digital entitlement from the Microsoft activation servers stored there when it activated the first time during the upgrade.

I find it odd that you would disagree on this thread when you wrote on another thread:

davidhk said:

.............My concern is, after July and the free offer is over, if I have to do a clean install with the USB drive that I made, will it activate with the generic key?.......................

You will NOT need a product key to activate when you do a clean install from now on.
It does not matter when, a year from now, 2 years from now, it does not matter.
You will get activated automatically as long as you are doing clean install of the same Win 10 version in the same computer.

P.S. Your screenshot shows exactly what you are supposed to have. There is nothing to worry about.

Many people, including myself, have went back to Windows 7/8/8.1 on their computers, and then returned to Windows 10 via clean install, skipped entering the product key, and Windows 10 activates because the digital entitlement stored on Microsoft activation servers is not affected by returning to Windows 7/8/8.1. Just like the license for the Windows 7/8/8.1 does not get revoked after the upgrade to Windows 10 - otherwise a person would not be able to go back to Windows 7/8/8.1 after the 30 days, but we can.

.............I find it odd that you would disagree on this thread when you wrote on another thread:......................

That is because this OP is on Win 10 all the time. He did not say " I want to go back to Win 8.1 and then come back to Win 10 after July 29th ".

davidhk said:

.............I find it odd that you would disagree on this thread when you wrote on another thread:......................

That is because this OP is on Win 10 all the time. He did not say " I want to go back to Win 8.1 and then come back to Win 10 after July 29th ".

I am sorry if I have not been clear, but I had mentioned -
".......I am using HP 15-ab031tx notebook, and it came with windows 8.1 single language. I upgraded to windows 10 single language on 11th Feb, and though it's awesome, for now I would like to roll back to win 8.1. But I would like to upgrade again later....can I do that after July 29?......."

I actually want to go back to Win 8.1 and then come back to Win 10 after July 29th.

shivam,
NavyLCDR was quoting my reply in the other thread.
Windows 10 Pro upgrade from Windows 8.1 Pro

My last reply is NOT about your situation. It was about the other thread.
I sincerely apologize we have confused you with a quote that came from another thread. A thread that has nothing to do with your case.


Please rest assured that we know exactly what you are asking and we understand your situation.

davidhk said:

shivam,
NavyLCDR was quoting my reply in the other thread.
Windows 10 Pro upgrade from Windows 8.1 Pro

My last reply is NOT about your situation. It was about the other thread.
I sincerely apologize we have confused you with a quote that came from another thread. A thread that has nothing to do with your case.


Please rest assured that we know exactly what you are asking and we understand your situation.

Oh, fine.
But what confused me was NOT that quote from another thread, but this -
....."He did not say " I want to go back to Win 8.1 and then come back to Win 10 after July 29th " ......",
when that is precisely what I wanted to say!
And "....That is because this OP is on Win 10 all the time....", I don't think I understand

shivam said:

Oh, fine.
But what confused me was NOT that quote from another thread, but this -
....."He did not say " I want to go back to Win 8.1 and then come back to Win 10 after July 29th " ......",
when that is precisely what I wanted to say!

That was also about the OP who is in the other thread. Not about you.

Again, I apologize for the confusion.

I too apologize for the confusion, shivam. The fact is that your digital entitlement for Windows 10 is permanently stored on Microsoft activation servers and will still be there to activate Windows 10 on the same computer after July 29. It will not get erased if you reinstall Windows 8 nor if you roll back to Windows 8 (within 30 days) - just like the Windows 10 upgrade does not revoke your Windows 8 license. You can flip flop between the two as much as you want, now and after July 29.